Air intake



Dec. 3, 1968 H. JOHNSON 3,413,905

AIR INTAKE I Filed Sept. 19, 1966 1N VENTOR: EDWARD H. JuHNsuN.

CLQQM United States Patent Oflice 3,413,905 AIR INTAKE Edward H. Johnson, Maumee, Ohio, assignor to The American Warming & Ventilating, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 580,474 4 Claims. (CI. 98-37) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An air intake louver has an exceptionally large free area for the passage of air and yet is resistant to weather. The large free area is achieved by employing bafiies which are arranged in a stepped configuration with each battle being forward, toward the direction of air from which the air flows, of an adjacent, lower bafile, and with a lower edge of each forward baffle being approximately at the same level as the upper edge of the lower 'bafile. Further, the baffles can have rain troughs at their lower edges to collect water which is deposited upon the batfies as the air moves between them and changes direction abruptly.

This invention relates to an air intake for a building or the like and particularly to an air intake louver which has a large free area for the passage of air and yet is exceptionally resistant to the weather.

A louver in accordance with the invention is uniquely designed with a plurality of stationary bafiles or vanes disposed in a manner such that each bafile is parallel to but in front of one immediately therebelow, with all of the bafiles thereby disposed in a stepped configuration. This arrangement provides the louver with exceptional weather resistance and, at the same time, enables the louver to have an exceptionally large free area for the passage of air. Further, the air must change direction as it flows through the louver, thereby throwing out larger water droplet or the like which may be carried thereby. If the louver is designed so that the free area exceeds the area of the front opening, the velocity of the air will decrease, thereby increasing the tendency for the droplets to drop out of the air stream. The louver also can be provided with a water-collecting trough preferably near the front outer edge portion thereof to receive and dispose of water collected by the louver. If desired, the individual bafiles can have troughs at the lower edges. The louver also has an unusual aesthetic appearance not found in ordinary louvers. By way of further advantage, the larger free area enables smaller louver units to be employed in some instances, along with lower per unit costs, and lower power requirements for moving a given volume of air through a louver of given size.

The new louver also can be provided with a plurality of movable blades disposed between the stationary battles to control air flow and close off :air completely, if desired.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an air intake or louver having vanes disposed in a stepped arrangement, with the advantages outlined above.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an air intake or louver according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in transverse cross section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in transverse cross section of a modified louver embodying the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a penthouse incorporating louvers embodying the invention.

r of the blades, between the lower 3,413,905 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 Referring to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, an air intake or louver embodying the invention is indicated at 10 and includes a frame or housing 12 which is adapted to be mounted in a wall of a building and defines an opening for the intake of air. The housing 12 includes sidewalls 14 and 16, a top 18, and a bottom 20 and further includes a front, mounting flange 22 and a rear, connecting flange 24 for making a connection with an air duct or passage through which air is drawn from the opening. The flanges are not essential, however, and many suitable arrangements can be employed for mounting the louver in a wall or the like. The bottom wall 20 has a water or rain trough 26 formed either inside or immediately outside of the mounting flange 22. A suitable drain line 28 can be connected to the trough 26 at an end portion, as shown, or at an intermediate portion thereof. Alternately, the water can be allowed to run out an end of the trough to one side of the louver. This keeps the water away from the front of the louver, if two or more are employed in a vertical disposition, to prevent water from being carried back into the louver by air entering the lower portions thereof.

The louver 10 includes a plurality of baffles or vanes 30, 32, and 34 which are positioned transversely to the flow of air through the from opening of the louver and, in this instance, are positioned vertically. Each bafile is parallel to and entirely in front of the one below to provide a stepped configuration. The lowermost baflle 30 is mounted directly on the lower wall 20 of the louver and need not be as high as the inter-mediate bafiies 32. Also, the uppermost baflle 34 is located at the front of the louver 10, near the plane of the mounting flange 22 and again need not be as high as the intermediate bafiles 32. The louver, in this instance, further includes a plurality of movable louver blades 36 which are positioned transversely to the stationary baffles 330-34 and, as shown, are perpendicular thereto. The blades 36 are pivotally mounted by pivot pins or rods 38 or other suitable means immediately below the edges of the stationary bafiles 32 and 34. The uppermost and front one of the blades 36 is pivotally mounted at the lower edge of the uppermost baffle 34. The next two blades 36 are similarly pivotally mounted near the lower edges of the intermediate two baffles 32. The free edge portions of the blades 36 which are spaced from the pivotal edge portions thereof extend rearwardly and rest on the upper edges of the bafiles which are next to the bafiles below which the blades are pivotally mounted.

Suitable seals, such as rubber strips, can be located between the pivotable blades 36 and the upper edges of the respective stationary baffles, if desired, with the strips preferably afiixed to the upper edges of the baffles. Suitable seals also can be located adjacent the pivoted edges edge portions of the baffles and the pivot rods 38.

While the recessed arrangement of the blades and baffies provides a pleasing and unique appearance from outside of the building, if desired various decorative screening or grids can be mounted on the flange 22 over the intake opening.

The recessed nature of the louver is effective in keeping out rain, snow, etc. and the effectiveness is further increased by the bafiles 30, 32, and 34 disposed transversely to the flow of air and causing droplets, particles, etc. carried by the air to tend to be thrown out as the air turns upwardly and flows through the openings established by the raised pivotable blades 36. If the 'free area of the louver at the bafiles exceeds the area of the front opening, the air velocity will decrease and tend to cause more droplets to be separated from the air. The individual 'bafiles can have water-collecting troughs,

preferably at the lower edges thereof, to prevent the water from being carried in by the lower air streams.

When air is drawn through the opening by a suitable fan 40, the blades 36 automatically pivot upwardly by virtue of the air pressure differential. If desired, however, the blades can be opened manually, or by a suitable power drive. The louver, when the blades are opened, provides a large area for the inflow of air, with this area even exceeding the area of the front opening of the louver, if desired. The area established by the blades and baffles can be increased simply by increasing the width of the blades 36 or space between the bafiies and correspondingly moving the baffles 30, 32, and 34 rearwardly. In such an instance, the depth of the overall louver also will be increased. The particular arrangement of the blades and battles is almost unlimited with the height of the baffles and the width of the space therebetween being subject to wide variation to achieve different effects. A particular arrangement of the louver for a particular installation will depend upon a number of factors such as the permissible dimensions of the overall louver including the depth, height, and width, the volume of the air to be moved, and the pressure differential to be established across the louver.

More than one intake can be employed, particularly if a larger air intake area is desired or if the depth of the louver must be limited for some reason. Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 3 in which two modified louver assemblies 42 are shown which communicate with a single fan duct or passage 44. The louvers 42 each contain baffles similar to those of FIG. 1 except the width of the space between the bafiies is narrower than that of FIG. 1, particularly with respect to the height of the batfles, so that the louver is not as deep. The individual baffies are also equipped with water troughs 46, in this instance. Since the louvers 42 do not have movable blades, a damper (not shown) can be employed, if desired, for flow control or to close off the air passage.

The air intake embodying the invention also can be in the form of a penthouse, as indicated at 48 in FIG. 4. Four louvers indicated at 50 are employed on the four sides of the penthouse to receive air therethrough. In this instance, the four louvers can employ rain troughs 52 which communicate at one corner of the penthouse 48 with a suitable drainpipe 54.

Various modifications of the above described embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. An air intake for a building or the like, said intake comprising a frame defining an opening for the intake of air, a plurality of bafiies disposed transversely to the path of air to be received through the opening, with each of said baffies, except the lowest one, being disposed parallel to, entirely in front of, and above an adjacent one, a plurality of movable blades, and pivot means for supporting edge portions of said blades near the lower edge portions of said bafiles, with the free edges of said blades located adjacent upper edge portions of the adjacent baffies when the blades are closed.

2. An air intake according to claim 1 characterized by said movable blades being disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the opening.

3. An air intake according to claim 1 wherein said blades, when closed, are disposed substantially perpendicular to the adjacent baffles on which the blades rest.

4. An air intake for a building or the like comprising a frame defining a rectangular opening through which air is drawn, a plurality of baffies held by said frame, said baffies being parallel to one another and disposed transversely to the path of air to be received through the opening, with each of said baffles being disposed forwardly of and above an adjacent baffie toward the direction from which air flows, and with the lower edge of each forward bafile being approximately at the same level as the upper edge of the adjacent lower baffle, said baffies having upwardly-extending flanges at the lower edges thereof to form rain troughs to collect water thrown out of the air onto the baffies when passing between the baffies, means associated with the bottom of said frame for collecting Water from said rain troughs, a plurality of movable blades of widths sufficient to bridge the spaces between adjacent baffies, pivot means supporting edges of said blades adjacent the lower edges of said bafiles, except for the lowermost bafiie, with the free edges of said blades, when closed, resting on upper edges of said batfies, except for the uppermost batfie.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 532,452 1/1895 Elwell 9837 2,107,653 2/1938 Strobell 9813 X 2,216,420 10/1940 Rose 98121 2,456,312 12/1948 Paget 98-121 X 2,588,289 3/1952 Pouliot 98119 2,595,885 5/1952 Rhoades 9837 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

